/. 

HISTORY SET RIGHT, 



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ON 



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BY THE FLEET UNDER 

ADMIRAL FARRAGUT. 



jSpri^'Z ^4^ 186Q. 



NEW YORK: 
OFFICE OF THE ARMY AND NAVY JOURNAL 

1869. 



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:k. — Con- 



A CHIP OF THE OLD BLOC: 

gress, in April last, authorized the 
acceptance by Lieutenant Theodorus 
Bailey Myers Mason to accept a medal 
conferred upon him by King Victor 
Emanuel for an act of unusual self- 
devotion and daring. When flag-lieu- 
tenant of the South Pacific Squadron he 
descended, with three sailors, all vol- 
unteers, into the lower hold of an Italian 
barque, the Adelaide, then lying in the 
harbor of Callao, laden with powder and 
railroad supplies, and in flames. Putting 
aside the kegs of powder, Lieutenant 



Mason reached the fire and extinguished 
it with the Babcock apparatus. This is 
not the first of his gallant actions. Some 
years since, while still a midshipman, 
he received the medal of the Humane 
Society, and a decoration from the 
Emperor of Brazil for the successful 
saving of life. 

In his name Lieutenant Mason con- 
tinues, in honorable record, in the service 
that of his uncle, Admiral Theodorus 
Bailey, who led the van of Farragut's 
fleet through the obstructions, past the 
forts on the Mississippi and took the 
surrender of New Orleans. The career 
of this brave officer was noticed in the 
Magazine, March, 1877. Editor. 



.83 



9.: 



[From the Army and Navy Journal of July 17, 1869.] 



HISTORY SET RIGHT, 



The following correspondence is reproduced from the files of the Navy 
Department. We publish it in justice both to the truth of history and 
to the reputation of those gallant officers whom it most concerns. 

REAR-ADMIRAL BAILEY TO ADMIRAL PARRAGUT. 

Washington, D. C, April 1, 1869. 

My Dear Admiral ; I feel compelled to call your attention to an over- 
sight of which I spoke to you some time since, and which has afforded 
me and other officers the keenest annoyance, by historical statements 
growing out of the omission to make the desired correction. 

You recollect that when the Colorado, under my command, was found 
(after lightening her) to draw too much water to be got over the bar into 
the Mississippi River, I applied to you for the command of a division of 
gunboats, and coveted the honor of leading, under your orders, the attack 
on New Orleans and its defenses. Having been assigned by you to the 
command of a division of your fleet, with your concurrence, and at the 
request of Commander J. P. Lee, I hoisted my divisional flag on board 
the steam sloop-of-war Oneida, commanded by him. On the 20th of 
April, 1862, you issued a General Order, with a programme directing the 
fleet to pass the forts and ascend the river in two columns abreast. You, 
in your flag-ship, the Hartford, at the head of one column, and I at the 
head of the other. About this time Commander Lee expressed a regret 
that he had invited me to lead my division in his vessel, the Oneida, 
alleging as a reason that I would get the credit for what might be 
achieved by his vessel. Lieutenant-Commanding Harrison immediately 
begged me to hoist my divisional flag on board of his little gunboat, 



the Cayuga, and 0ve bim a chance to lead the division, which, on 
going on board of your flag-sbip and stating the facts, you kindly con- 
sented to my doing ; and on giving the gallant Harrison the opportunity 
he sought, the Oneida, Commander Lee, was assigned a position fur- 
ther astern. After the chain and booms, constituting tlie enemy's ob- 
structions, were cut by Captain Bell and Lieutenant Caldwell, it became 
apparent that if the fleet went up in two columns abreast, according to 
your written order and programme of the 20th of April, the parallel col- 
umns of vessels would likely get foul of the obstructions on either side, 
and the whole fleet behove into confusion under the fire of the enemy's 
forts, especially as you had determined to make a night attack (two 
o'clock in' the raoT-ning). Therefore, with your proverbial foresight 
and dagacity, you ordered me to get my division of eight vessels under 
way as soon as the dusk of the evening should obscure the movement 
from the enemy, and anchor them, line ahead, near the east 1 ank, and 
gave me a further verbal order, directing me that when the signal 
should be made (two red lights) from the Hartford, to load up with my 
division and to receive but not answer the fire of Fort Jackson (which I 
was directed to leave for you to take care of when you should come 
up, as you expressed it, " I will take care of Fort Jackson)." I was then 
to open on Fort St, Philip and pass it ; but you directed that in case at 
any time you should come up in the Hartford, we should leave room for 
you on the port or west side. I accordingly passed up at the head of my 
division (in the Cayuga) receiving but not returning the fire of Fort 
Jackson. After passing the obstructions I ordered the helm put a-port 
and led close to tfie levee, and under the guns of Fort St. Philip, 
thinking that the guns of that fort would be trained and sighted for 
mid-river, and that they would consequently overshoot me (which they 
did, their shot and shell riddling our masts, spars, sails and rigging 
with comparative little damage to the hulls.) At this time something 
occurred to the Pensacola's machinery, which caused a detention of the 
vessels of my division astern of her. Losing sight of them, we in the 
Cayuga, alone, encountered the Rebel iron-clads, Louisiana 0.1x6. Manassas 
and their flotilla of gunboats, and maintained unaided a conflict with 
them until Boggs in the Variina came up, and after delivering a broad- 
side, which came into the Cayuga as well as into the enemy in con- 
flict with us, he passed up the river out of sight. The Oneida, Com- 
mander Lee, came up soon after and fired into a steamer that had already 
surrendered to the Cayuga (being her third prize). I then ordered 
Lee to go to the assistance of Boggs of the Varuna, then engaged 



with two of the enemy's steamers up .the river, which had been drawn 
off from their attack on us of the Cayuga, to follow and head off Boggs 
in the Varuna. After seeing our {Cayuga's) third prize in flames, we 
steamed up the river and captured the Chalmette regiment, encamped 
on the west bank of the river opposite the Quarantine Hospital. This 
Rebel regiment of infantry I had the honor to hand over to you for 
your disposition when you came up the river after your severe contest 
with the forts and fire-ships below. 

To give a history of all the incidents of the battle within my ob- 
servation or the part which each vessel of my division took, would 
make this communication too long. 

The great object of this letter is to call your attention to the fact that» 
in the hurry of making up your dispatches after the battle, you sent home 
the written order of the 20th of April, which has been published and 
has passed into history, instead of your verbal order of the 23d, which 
was the one in accordance with which the fleet passed up the river and 
the battle was fought. 

This error has resulted in an inextricable historical muddle, as the 
history of the battle has been written on the basis of the published 
programme of April 20th, never carried out ; the formation and position 
of the attacking force being therefore entirely misunderstood by the his- 
torians. Oqe (Rev. Mr. Boynton's) history not even mentioning me, 
although it did those of officers commanding vessels under me. My 
name was merely inserted (as commanding a division) at the instance of 
a friend, who discovered the omission too late to make a further correction. 
The resolution of the United States Senate of June 6, 1862 and accom- 
panying Documents, of which 2,000 were printed, perpetuates the error of 
our passing the forts in twc columns abreast. Mr. Greeley in his " Amer- 
ican Conflict," and other authors, are led into the same misstatements. 
" Lossing's Pictorial History " erroneously describes the Cayuga as retir- 
ing from the fight on account of her damages, whert as she was contin- 
ually in action notwithstanding she was much cut up with forty-two shot- 
holes. The Varima, which had passed us while heavily engaged, 
went up the river and drew off three of the Cayuga's assailants. The 
fight of the Varuna with two of which is treated as the great event of 
the battle, while the leading up and heavy siDgle-hand fighting of 
the Cayuga (Harrison's gunboat), her taking the surrender of three ene- 
my's steamers, the Chalmette regiment of infantry, and cutting the tele- 
graphic communication between the forts and New Orleans, and other 
circumstances, are not mentioned. Now, as I do not wish to be com- 



6 

pelled, even in justice to myself, or tlie officers of my division, to go 
into the system of correcting history bv pamphleteering or newspaper 
articles now so common, I must ask of you to correct this error, which I 
know you will not hesitate to do, seeing how much annoyance it is 
giving your friends and followers; or, if you still have any delicacy in 
doing this, as you appeared to have when I spoke to you before, in con- 
sequence of a regulation of the Department that you seemed to consider 
in the way, may I ask if you see any impropriety in my requesting a 
Board of Inquiry, in order to get the facts on record, since the truth of 
history, my duty to my officers, and to my family, requires that I should 
see it done while I am here to do it. I have the honor to be, respectfully. 

Your obedient servant, 

Theodorus Bailey, 
Rear-Admiral, U, S. Navy. 
To Admiral D. G. Farragut, U. S. Navy. 



.ADMIRAL FARRAGUT IN REPLY. 

New York, April 3, 1869. 

My Dear Admiral : I have received your letter of the 1st, and am 
really at a loss to understand how you, or even historians, can take the 
views you express in relation to the part in the memorable fight in the 
Mississippi in 1862. 

I have just re-read my report of May 6th, and your two reports follow- 
ing, ard cannot conceive how you could be more prominently mentioned 
to the Department. 

In the former you are reported as " leading the right column in the 
gunboat Cayuga," as having " preceded me up to the Quarantine Sta- 
tion," and as having " captured the Chalmette regiment," and every 
possible credit is given you for the manner in which you conducted your 
line, and preceding us to attack the Chalmette forts. 

As to historians, I can, of course do nothing. I have read but one ac- 
count to which you allude (Dr. Boynton's), and that in reference to Mo- 
bile Bay, in which several mistakes occur, going to prove that historians 
are not always correct. 

I do not see how it is possible for me to give you greater credit for 



your services than is embodied in lliat report where your name is always 
prominent ; but if you think that full credit has not been done you, which 
I confess I regret to learn, you have, of course, a perfect right to make 
your appeal to the Department; for my own part, I always maintain the 
conviction that whatever errors may be made in the records of histori- 
ans and others, posterity will always give justice to whom justice is 
due. 

Very truly yours, 

D. G. Farragut, Admiral. 

Rear- Admiral T. B.iiley, U. S. Navy. 

P. S. — By referring to pages 334 and 335-337, of Draper's history, you 
will find that he gives you all the credit claimed by your own report, 
as well as that given you by mine. D. G, F. 



RESPONSE OF REAR-ADMIRAL BAILEY. 

Washington, D. C, April 27, 1869. 

My Dear Admiral : I have received and carefully read your letter 
of the 3d, in reply to mine of the 1st instant, and admit all you say about 
prominently mentioning my name to the Department. But you re- 
mark : " As to historians, I can do nothing." This is so ; but the diflaculty 
is, that the historians derived their erroneous account of the battle from 
your report of the 6th of May, 1802, and from the diagram which you 
sent to the Department, as the true order of sailing into the battle 
with the forts. Those who have written on the subject are not to be 
blamed for using the official reports of the occurrences; but in seeking 
for the correction of that report, I hope to prevent similar error and con- 
fusion in the future. I do so with the greatest reluctance, as a duty to 
the officers under my immediate command, and to myself, and I appeal 
to your sense of justice whether I could do less. 

You state, " I have just re-read my (your) report of May 6th, and 
your (my) two reports following, and cannot conceive how you could be 
more prominently mentioned to the Department." " In the former you 
are reported as leading the right column in the gunboat Cayuga, and as 
having preseded me to the Quarantine Station." 

, How could there have been a " right " and a left column practically, 
when I led my division to the attack and passage of the forts an hour 



before you lifted anchors in the Hartford, and your centre division ? 
What I did was done by your orders and inspiration, and to you the world 
has given the credit of the attack and its success, as fully as it gave to 
Lord Nelson the credit of the battle of the Nile ; but did it detract from 
his glory that the reporr of the battle described Jioio it was fought, and 
the exact position of his own vessel, and those of his subordinates ? 

This matter has been the subject of much discussion among officers 
then commanding vessels in my division ; all say that no vessel of 
your centre division, came up abreast of, or lapped their vessels. Prac- 
tically, the effect of your verbal order was, to divide the fleet into lour 
divisions, viz : 

1st. The mortar fleet. Commander Porter. 

2d. The first division of the gunboata, under my command, to 
which was added' the two sloops-of-war Pensacola and Mississippi, of 
which the gunboat Ca2/uga{wiih my divisional flag) was the leading vessel. 

3d. The centre division, with your flag on the Hartford, and 

4th. The rear division, bearing the flag of Captain H. H. Bell. 

The first, centre, and rear divisions went up to the attack in single 
file, or line ahead. I went up at the head of my division at 2 A. M., 
or as soon thereafter as it took the Pensacola (the next vessel astern of the 
Cayuga), to purchase her anchors — supposed to be about twenty min- 
utes. You followed without lapping thesternmost vessel of my division, 
and the division of gunboats commanded by Captain Bell followed in 
the wake of your Division. The fact practically was that the First divis- 
ion, the mortar fleet, covered the advance, the Second was the van- 
guard, the Third the main body of the fleet, and the Fourth the rear, 
and that the advance being made up a river and line ahead, the dia- 
gram does not give any idea of the action other than to produce confu- 
sion and error. How could it be otherwise, when no vessel of the Third 
division lapped any one of the Second ? 

I enclose a copy of this (to us) unfortunate diagram, as attached to your 
report of the battle, which you will notice places the Cayuga (my flag 
gunboat) third in line of my division, whereas, according to your own 
statement (of two columns abreast), that gunboat should have been re- 
corded as first in line, leading. I would ask of your friendship and your 
fairness whether this diagram gives the faintest idea of the action, and 
whether if the names of the vessels were altered, it would not apply 
equally well or better to many other battles. 



ORDER OF FLEET. 



Id div. gunboats, Capt. Bell. 1st div. of ships. 



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As an evidence how far tlio Cayuga was ahead of the rest of the fleet, 
the first news received at the North is announced in the New York 
Times of Sunday, April 27, 1862, thus : "An impMitant report, from the 
K,ebels. — One of our o-un boats above Forts Jackson, and San Philip. 
Washington, Saturday, April 26th. The Richmond Examiner of the 
25th announces that one of our gunboats passed Forts Jackson, and San 
Philip, sixty miles below New Orleans, on the 24th. The report was tel- 
egraphed to Norfolk, and brought to Fortress Monroe, under a flag of 
truce, and received from tliere to-day by the Navy Department." 



10 

The next Rebel telegram amiounced the arrival of tlie fleet before the 
city. The Cayuga in the interval had captured the Chalmette rejji- 
ment, five miles above the forts, and cut the tele^orraphic communica- 
tion, so that the fleet were not again reported until they arrfved opposite 
the city. 

Now, my dear Admiral, you have entirely misconceived the object of my 
addressing you. It is not to complain that you have not mentioned me 
prominently in your dispatch, but it is because in your report of the 
battle, dated May 6th, and the accompanying diagram, you do not give 
the circumstances of the fight as they occurred, but those which would 
apply TO your former plan, which was abandoned. From that report, the 
reader would infer that the fleet went to the attack of the forts in two 
coluums abreast,, when it was done in single column (line ahead) — that 
the Hartford was the leading vessel, when in reality it was ninth in 
line astern of the Cayuga, in a single line or line ahead, and there was 
no left or right of line, but single file. 

That you should for a moment leave so erroneous a; report or record 
uncorr< cted, is a matter of surprise to your officers, and that you should 
not have made the correction as soon as your attention was called to 
it, is still more embarrassing to us. 

They know that under your orders, I led the vanguard of your fleet, not 
as represented on the diagram you have filed, but in an entirely differ- 
ent order, and received forty-two certificates in the way of rebel shots 
striking my vessel, in corroboration of what is known to every one of our 
gallant companions in that engagement. 

I have delayed my reply, both because I have been occupied, and since 
have heard you were ill, which I deeply regretted, and because I wished to 
be certain that I said nothing in haste that would be annoying to you, or 
improper in me to say, and I hope you will now see the matter as I and 
others do, and make the correction so necessary to justice in your report 
dated May 6, 1862, and substitute a diagram of the actual positions your 
vessels and officers occupied in the line of attack, in place of those now on 
the files of the Navy Department. 

I have the honor to be, 

Respectfully, your obedient servant, 

Theodorus Bailey, Rear-Admiral. 
Admiral D. G. Farragut, U. S. Navy. 



11 



CORRECTION BY ADMIRAL PARRAGUT. 

New York, May 19, 1869. 

My Dear Admiral : I have received your two letters, the first one 
of wliicli was not o-iven to me until to-day, as my physician has advised 
a total suspension of business until I should become fully convalescent, 
which, I am happy to say, is now the case. It affords me pleasure to 
make the correction you desire, in the diagram of the Mississippi battle, 
as I now fully comprehend what you wish in this matter. In fact, I 
cannot understand how this sketch of the first proposed order of battle — 
wherein you are placed fJdrd instead of at the head of the column — 
should have been attached to the report in lieu of the one which was af- 
terward adopted. 

By referrincr to this report, you will observe that the diagram accom- 
panies a general order, issued four days before the action, as a prepara- 
tory plan of attack, which was subsequently changed. But, still, I can- 
not understand why, even in this sketch, you should not have been placed 
at the head of the starboard column. 

This diagram, as you are aware, was the original plan, to be changed, 
as a matter of course, as circumstances might justify, and the vessels 
were placed accordinsr to the rank of the officers respectively command- 
ing them ; but should not have been made part of the report of the final 
action, as, on reflection, I decided that when the chains were parted the 
plan of " line ahead " should be adopted, as the best calculated for the 
preservation of the vessels and for avoiding all chances of fouling. There- 
fore, when the time arrived, and the signal given, the order of sailing 
was changed to line of battle, the verbal instructions to which you allude 
carried out, and you led at the head of your division, and it has always 
afforded me the greatest pleasure to say that you performed your duties 
most fearlessly and gallantly. 

For this reason I was, at the outset, a little surprised that you should 
have apparently complained of my report, but my examination of the 
printed diagram has fully satisfied me of the justice of your appeal. 

I shall, therefore, forward to the Department a correct sketch of the final 
attack as we passed up the river. I am, very truly, your friend and 
obedient servant. 

D. G. Farragut, Admiral U. S. N. 

Rear- Admiral T. Bailey, Washington. 



THE CORRECTED DIAGRAM. 



Copied from the amended diagram on file in the Navy Department, 
and certified to be a true copy. 



June 2d, 1869. 



(signed) HOLMES E. OFFLEY, Chief Clerk. 



Order of the Fleet in passing up to the attack of Forts Jackson and 
St. Philip, April Uth, 1862. 



f^ FiKST Division 
leading under command 
Capt. Theodorus Bailey. 



m 



'r\ 



Chain & 



Centre Div. 
Adn Farragut. 



Hartford, 

Com. Wainwright. 

Brooklyn, 

Capt. T. T. Craven. 
Richmond, 

Com. J. Alden. 

3r> BiY. -Capt.H.H.Bell 

Sciota, 

Lt. Com. Donaldson. 

Iroquois, 

Com. DeCamp. 

Kennebec, 

Lt. Com.Eussell. 

Pinola, 

Lt. Com. P. Croshy. 

Itasca, 

Lt, Com. Caldwell. 

Winona, 

Lt. Com. Nichols. 



l' Cayuga, Lt. Com. Harrison, 

I Flag Gun Boat. 

Pensacola, Capt. H. W. Morris. 

Mississippi, CaiJt. M. Smith. 

Oneida, Commander S. P. Lee. 

Varuna, Commander C. S. Boggs. 

Katahdin, Lt. Com. G. H. Preble. 

Kineo, Lt. Com. Ransom. 

Wissahickon, Lt. Com.A.N.Smith 



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Very respectfully, 



(signed) D. G. FARRAGUT 



13 



LETTERS TO THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY. 

New York, May 24, 1869. 

Sir : My attention liaving been called by Rear-Admiral Bailey to an 
incorrect sketch which accompanied my report of May 6, 1862, upon the 
passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip' I have the honor to forward 
herewith, a corrected diagram, showing the position of the vessels at the 
time they passed through the obstructions after the chains had been sep- 
arated. This will demonstrate that Rear-Admiral (then Captain) Bailey 
led the fleet, in the Cayuga, up to the attack on the forts, as had been pre- 
viously ordered, he taking St. Philip with his division, while I reserved 
Jackson for the remainder of the squadron under my command. 

The skeleton lines show how the vessels moved up from the origi- 
nal position of two lines into the line ahead. 

This correction has not been made before, because I was not aware 
of the existence of the mistake — the diagram being, evidently, a clerical 
error — and in opposition to the text, in which I distinctly state that Rear- 
Admiral Bailey not only led, but performed his duly with great gallant- 
ry, to which I called the attention of the Department. 

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

D. G. Farragut, Admiral U. S. N. 
Hon. A. E. Borie, Secretary of the Navy, Washington. 



Washington, D. C, May 25, 1869. 

Hon. A. E. Borie, Secretary of the Navy. 

Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith, original and certified cop- 
ies of a correspondence which I have had with Admiral D. ft. Farragut, 
relating to the battle below New Orleans, and to request that the letters 
marked from A to E, be placed on the files of the Navy Department, as 
furnishing a correction of that officer's report, with an accompanying dia- 
gram heretofore made to the Department. 

The object of my addressing Admiral Farragut is now gained, by the 
admission on his part, of the correctness of my statements, that the 
fleet under his command, went up the Mississippi River to attack and 
pass Forts Jackson, and St. Philip, in order of battle, " line ahead," or 
single file ; that I led the fleet into the battle at the head of, and in 



14 

command of, tlie "Vanguard Division ; and tbat the Hartford flag-ship, 
with Admiral Farragut on board, followed my division, he being thus 
ninth in line, and at the head of the rest of the fleet in the order repre - 
sented by the list of vessels which I hereto annex. After this frank ad- 
mission by my distinguished commander, I have only the regret remain- 
ing, that the error into which he was led, was not discovered and cor- 
rected at an earlier date, thereby possibly afi^ecting my position in the 
service. 

I have the honor to be. 

Respectfully, your obedient servant, 

Theodorus Bailey, Rear Admiral U. S. Navy. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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